Librarians' roles in the selection, acquisition, and maintenance of library collections: The case of African-ancestry materials and resources

The library is considered a repository for the epistemology of our society by most of our citizens. Unfortunately, most library collections lack sufficient or accurate information about the diverse cultural groups in our society. The problem is that most of our libraries do not include all members of our society in the realms of authorship, artistry, literature, history, music, and philosophy. People of African ancestry are seldom found in the sciences, mathematics, or theology sections of the library.; The research methodology was a case study, and the population studied consisted of 12 professional librarians. Eleven of the subjects were from the University of California Library System and one subject was from the California State Library System. A questionnaire and interview questions were the research strategies used by the researcher to query the participants. The research interview consisted of 15 questions that were designed to be answered as “Always,” “Sometimes,” or “Never” by respondents. Respondents in the study were able to provide specific information regarding their library collections through the data returned from the questionnaires and interview instruments.; The findings in the study resulted in the recognition that librarians are directly responsible for resources and materials we find in the library collections. The findings showed that traditional practices and selection choices by librarians were evident and supported exclusionary practices which supported library collections as being mainstream and noninclusive of African-ancestry contributions to society.; The conclusions and implications of this study were that most libraries do not have materials and resources that represent all of our publics in their collections. The role of the librarian in material selection must change, and the library professional must pay attention to the library users who are, in fact, the community that the library is meant to serve. It is recommended in the study that librarians and others who work in the capacities to serve the informational needs of the public become aware of the cultural traits, history, and literature of our public communities.